"Everyone worked so hard today." She tilted her head, studying my face. "What do you think? Does it suit your taste?"
My gaze drifted to her throat, where a familiar pendant caught the light—one of mine, reported missing weeks ago. My eyes narrowed.
"Second-hand goods for a second-hand woman," I said coolly. "It suits you perfectly."
Celina's expression flickered—offense, then calculation. Without a word, she turned aside, picked up a crystal ornament from the display, and hurled it to the floor. A shard sliced across her foot, and she crumpled with a pitiful cry, tears streaming down her face.
Before I could react, Luca stormed in and struck me across the face. The blow rang through my skull like a gunshot.
"Enough of your tantrums!" he roared. "Celina took time away from her duties to help prepare your party, and this is how you repay her?"
"If you don't like it, do it yourself!"
He didn't wait for my explanation. He swept Celina into his arms and carried her out, leaving me alone in the hollow silence of the room. The stillness pressed down like a weight, heavier with each passing moment.
The next morning, no one came.